Abstract: An information sharing system using a computer so as to allow a plurality of users to share disclosed information, the system comprising, input section for receiving responses to the disclosed information from references of the disclosed information, evaluation information generation section for totalizing and processing the responses to generate evaluation information and storing the evaluation information after correlating it with the disclosed information, and evaluation information notifying section for presenting the evaluation information generated by the evaluation information generation section.

Abstract: A broadcasting station creates a broadcast schedule for broadcasting advertisement information. An information providing apparatus receives the broadcast schedule through a communication network, changes the broadcast schedule based on advertisement rates for broadcasting the advertisement information, and creating a commercial program guide. The commercial program guide is transmitted through a communication network and received by an information storage apparatus. The information storage apparatus automatically records and stores the advertisement information from the broadcasting station based on the received commercial program guide. Also, commercials can be reproduced according to classifications in accordance with the commercial program guide. Thus, it is made possible to automatically record a commercial according to advertisement rates and to display a commercial as desired by a user.

Abstract: A method for improving the associating articles of information or stories with topics associated with specific subjects (subject topics) and with a general topic of words that are not associated with any subject. The inventive method is trained using Hidden Markov Models (HMM) to represent each story with each state in the HMM representing each topic. A standard Expectation and Maximization algorithm, as are known in this art field can be used to maximize the expected likelihood to the method relating the words associated with each topic to that topic. In the method, the probability that each word in a story is related to a subject topic is determined and evaluated, and the subject topics with the lowest probability are discarded. The remaining subject topics are evaluated and a sub-set of subject topics with the highest probabilities over all the words in a story are considered to be the “correct” subject topic set.

Abstract: A scheme for transferring files from a file server to a file requesting client, which enables request and transfer of files which are related to a user requested file at a time of transferring a user requested file. The file requesting client makes a file request indicating a desired file, and in response the file server transfers a file list of files related to the desired file indicated by the file request. Then, the file requesting client makes a transfer request requesting a transfer of files according to the file list, and in response the file server transfers the files requested by the transfer request. Alternatively, the file requesting client makes a request indicating a desired file, and in response the file server transfers a concatenated file formed by concatenating files related to the desired file indicated by the request. Then, the file requesting client extracts individual files from the concatenated file.

Abstract: A computer-based electronic payment system, in which a payer's check issuing computer issues an electronic check having a check identifier and an issue time, where the check identifier includes a payer identifier for uniquely identifying a payer and a payment identifier for uniquely identifying a payment. Then, at a payee's check processing computer receiving the electronic check from the payer and at a bank's check processing computer receiving the electronic check transmitted from the payee, a check identifier of each electronic check accepted during a prescribed period of time prior to a current time is recorded, and a received electronic check is refused when the issue time of the received electronic check is older than the prescribed period of time past of the current time or the check identifier of the received electronic check is identical to any recorded check identifier of an already accepted electronic check, or a received electronic check is accepted when the acceptance is not refused.

Abstract: A decryption key management scheme for a software distribution system utilizing the decryption key, which can enable the re-install of the software that was decrypted once by a proper procedure, without requiring a re-acquisition of the decryption key from the software vender, so that a user can freely delete and re-install the software that was properly obtained once. The decryption key is searched in a memory device of a user's computer, or acquired from a distribution source of the encrypted software when the decryption key is not found in the memory means. Then, the encrypted software is decrypted by using the obtained decryption key, and a decrypted software content is installed into the memory device, while the decryption key acquired from the distribution source is stored into the memory device, such that the decryption key stored in the memory device is utilizable in decrypting the encrypted software at a time of re-installing the encrypted software.

Abstract: A document requesting and providing system capable of realizing the linking to the specified document from another document efficiently and safely. A linking request computer issues a linking request for attaching a link from a first document to a second document, and a client computer issues a document request for the first document. Then, a server computer stores the first document, records a link information indicated by the linking request in correspondence to the first document upon receiving the linking request from the linking request computer, and provides the first document in conjunction with the link information to the client computer upon receiving the document request from the client computer.

Abstract: A data processing scheme capable of realizing both the reduction of an amount of data due to the compression and the shortening of a time required to refer to data, as well as the lowering of the power consumption in a portable information device. A compression start position is detected, and data subsequent to the compression start position are compressed, and then a data sequence is generated from data prior to the compression start position and subsequent compressed data. In a case of reading a data sequence containing non-compressed data and subsequent compressed data, a boundary position between the non-compressed data and the compressed data is detected, and only the compressed data subsequent to the boundary position is expanded.

Abstract: A scheme for transferring files from a file server to a file requesting client, which enables request and transfer of files which are related to a user requested file at a time of transferring a user requested file. The file requesting client makes a file request indicating a desired file, and in response the file server transfers a file list of files related to the desired file indicated by the file request. Then, the file requesting client makes a transfer request requesting a transfer of files according to the file list, and in response the file server transfers the files requested by the transfer request. Alternatively, the file requesting client makes a request indicating a desired file, and in response the file server transfers a concatenated file formed by concatenating files related to the desired file indicated by the request. Then, the file requesting client extracts individual files from the concatenated file.

Abstract: A file reading scheme in a client-server information communication system, capable of efficiently utilizing files cached into a local file storage region of the client regardless of an environment under which the client is operated. Whether the client is in a state in which an access to the server according to a specified protocol is possible or not is judged when each file transfer request is issued at the client. Then, an access to the server according to the specified protocol is made when it is judged that the client is in a state in which an access to the server according to the specified protocol is possible. On the other hand, a requested file specified by each file transfer request is read from files cached in the local file storage region when it is judged that the client is in a state in which an access to the server according to the specified protocol is not possible.

Abstract: A computer-based electronic payment system, in which a payer's check issuing computer issues an electronic check having a check identifier and an issue time, where the check identifier includes a payer identifier for uniquely identifying a payer and a payment identifier for uniquely identifying a payment. Then, at a payee's check processing computer receiving the electronic check from the payer and at a bank's check processing computer receiving the electronic check transmitted from the payee, a check identifier of each electronic check accepted during a prescribed period of time prior to a current time is recorded, and a received electronic check is refused when the issue time of the received electronic check is older than the prescribed period of time past of the current time or the check identifier of the received electronic check is identical to any recorded check identifier of an already accepted electronic check, or a received electronic check is accepted when the acceptance is not refused.

Abstract: A data input/output management scheme suitable for protection of electronic writing data. Whether the data entered into the program is a protected data or not is judged, and when it is, at least the identifier for identifying the program is recorded as the protected data input record. Then, a data output is permitted when the identifier for identifying the program is not recorded in the protected data input record, while whether or not to permit a data output is judged according to at least a requested output target when the identifier for identifying the program is recorded in the protected data input record. For the writing data, the application program is authenticated, and the authentication result is stored in correspondence to an identifier for identifying the application program. Then, a request for access to writing data from the application program is permitted when the stored authentication result for the application program indicates a successful authentication for the application program.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for playing back selectively a desired part of continuous data by using an input event as a clue. The apparatus comprises: first storage means for storing continuous data sequentially inputted; second storage means for storing a plurality of input events occurring at arbitrary times during the continuous data sequence; third storage means for storing data enabling identity of addresses a in the first storage means of locations in the continuous data sequence respectively corresponding to the input events; specifying means for specifying one of the input events stored in the second storage means; and playback means for playing back a selected portion of the continuous data stored in the first storage means in accordance with the identifying data stored in the third storage means which corresponds to the input event specified through the specifying means.

Abstract: A scheme for controlling a screen display capable of allowing the addition of new functions such as the note entry and the pointing according to the input events not requested by the application program, and preserving the meaning attributed to the drawings related to the windows even when the window state change is made. The screen display is controlled by transmitting the inputs entered at the input device as input events to an application program, and supplying the display requests made by the application program according to prescribed types of the input events as well as the display requests according to the input events other than the prescribed types to the output device. Also, when the display of the window data is changed, the display of the drawing data is also changed in accordance with a change made in the display of the window data. Drawing data superposes or overlays separate window data.

Abstract: An esthetic orthodontic wire comprising a composite material which includes a biocompatible inorganic fiber and a thermoplastic resin. The inorganic fiber is glass fiber formed linearly continuous and having a generally circular or oval cross-sectional shape. The inorganic fiber has a diameter ranging from 1 to 100 .mu.m. The biocompatible inorganic fiber is produced from a mixture of calcium oxide, diphosphorus pentoxide, silicon dioxide and aluminium oxide. The inorganic fiber is biocompatible, in which a molar ratio of calcium/phosphorus is within a range of from 0.5 to 3.0, wherein total of calcium oxide and diphosphorus pentoxide is within a range of from 20 to 65% by weight relative to the glass fiber, and total of silicon dioxide and aluminium oxide is within a range of from 35 to 80% by weight relative to the glass fiber. The content of the glass fiber is within a range of from 5 to 70% by volume of the orthodontic wire.

Abstract: A scheme for controlling a screen display capable of allowing the addition of new functions such as the note entry and pointing according to the input events not requested by the application program, and preserving the meaning attributed to the drawings related to the windows even when the window state change is made. The screen display is controlled by transmitting the inputs entered at the input device as input events to an application program, and supplying the display requests made by the application program according to the prescribed types of the input events as well as the display requests according to the input events other than the prescribed types to the output device. Input events are transmitted to a window server program and then transmitted to a communication relay program which handles input events and output requests from the application program to the window server.

Abstract: A full automatic washing machine includes in an operation panel a display device together with power ON and OFF switches and a light-emitting diode serving as a pilot lamp. The display device is formed into the shape of a rectangular flat plate and has elasticity. The display device is constituted by a nematic curvilinear aligned phase (NCAP) liquid crystal panel and a reflecting plate. The display device includes a plurality of display sections for displaying a plurality of pieces of information about the washing operation. A membrane switch is disposed on the back of the display device. The membrane switch is turned on when the display device is depressed. The membrane switch has a plurality of key switches positioned so as to correspond to the display sections of the display device.

Abstract: According to this invention, a computer includes a register use information detecting unit for extracting pieces of information of registers, use of which is started and ended by executing instructions of a program, a register use information storing unit for storing information of a register whose value need be stored to execute an instruction in the program, a register use information referring unit for referring to register use information of the register use information storing unit, an instruction executing unit for executing predetermined processing for a desired register in accordance with a reference result of the register use information referring unit, and a register use information updating means for updating use information of a register stored in the register use information storing unit in accordance with outputs from the register use information detecting unit and the instruction executing unit.